The Crosscast

In Episode 10 of Season 7 Neil and Matt look back on a fabulous Falkirk National Championships with its perfect January weather, superb location, awesome atmosphere and cracking course. They talk through each of the UCI category races, with Mason defending his jersey and Kay taking the title for the first time.  Both were popular wins with the local crowd for Mason and Kay having been a CX pro for a while, and the win coming 5 years after her first time on the National elite podium.  

 They talk through the action from further down the elite field, things that were not shown on the TV coverage.  The juniors saw Ferguson have an impressively dominant ride worthy of someone ready to take on the World's best with her imminent movi to Movistar, and first year Oscar Amey took the Junior Men's title meaning that the jersey will be on show next season.

 They talk through the National Champs from other nations including the Netherlands and Belgian races with a host of winners coming with season back-stories.

 Benidorm World cup is reviewed, a race that saw a huge amount of grit on show for all of the podium finishers, none of whom had an easy ride, with Alvarado repeatedly chasing down the dynamic duo at the front, and even Van der Poel showing that he can have a bad day.  

The big question remains... if the commentator's curse is real, should Matt take some of the blame/credit for Van Aert's tumble on the hurdles that delivered even more action at the race finale?

Support the show

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To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps!  

You can watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrosscastCyclocross

Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks!  Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Xan Crees Racing.

In Episode 9 of Season 7, Neil and Matt pull together a bumper show as a special for those of you who have long drive to Falkirk to watch or even race at the British National Cyclocross Championships.

The final round of the 23-24 Trophy is reviewed, a race that came from Tong where a respectably rideable course was a great achievement for a race that coincided with serious floods and waterlogged ground across much of the UK.  They also talk through what makes an event a success... and agree that it is much more than just a race course.

They finally open the can of worms reviewing practicalities of the National Trophy, geeking out over numbers and asking whether the drop in competitors this year is the next step in a multi-year decline and question why.  Neil quizzes Matt on whether he can guess which 4 National Trophies have had the highest and lowest entries over the last 7 years (go on... can YOU work it out?!).

While much of the show is a deep dive into organisation, there is also plenty of racing covering the World Cups from Hulst and Zonhoven, and also a bit of Baal with a side of Koksijde.

In the Laatste Ronde they look forward to what is set to be an enthralling National Championships from a spectacular venue with hugely competitive fields across all categories.  Will the favorites bring home a jersey or could some wildcards spring a surprise?... 

Can Imogen Wolff challenge for an U23 podium riding up from Juniors or could she be battling with Nikki Brammeier (who was on the U23 podium the year Wolff was born)?  And listeners, we hope that you take careful note of the family battles... can younger brothers get the better of the older in the Askey, Barnes, Chilton, and Amey households?

Support the show

--
To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps!  

You can watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrosscastCyclocross

Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks!  Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Xan Crees Racing.

In Episode 8 of Season 7, Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by cycling icon, Canyon SRAM sports director, and expert pit crew Magnus Bäckstedt.  

They review the first half of the kersteperiod that has featured fully loaded A-Z of start lists (Alvarado to Zoe Bäckstedt) a featuring World Cups with the sand of Antwerp and the mud of Gavere.  They talk through a great edition of Zolder with Van Aert clocking up a hat trick of consecutive Zolder wins, and the annual excitement of Diegem.

The incident involving Matthieu Van Der Poel and Felipe Nystrom is unpacked, with views exchanged on how to keep the front of the race clean, while keeping racing further down the field meaningful. 

They also talk through some great form from Del Grosso, Cant, Mason and up and coming juniors Ferguson and Wolff.

In the Laatste Ronde they look forward to Hulst (fun fun fun), Baal (hmmm), Koksijde (over-rated), and Zonhoven (woohoo!).

They preview Tong National Trophy, the final round for 23-24 season... and Magnus gives a Crosscast Exclusive that Zoe Bäckstedt will not be defending her National title for 2024, as she prepares for the World Champs.

Support the show

--
To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps!  

You can watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrosscastCyclocross

Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks!  Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Xan Crees Racing.

In Episode 7 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by Lars Van Der Haar, simply one of the most successful cyclocross riders of his generation.  

They talk about the cyclocross community and fitting in family with CX, as well as how young riders can be inspired to pursue sport by the pros.  

While chatting through the action from Herentals and Namur they talk through race tactics and how the Van Der Holeshot can be important in keeping a race under control, and of course they mention the fabulous starts from Matthieu Vanderpoel and Ruby James (💪💪💪).  

Lars reflects on how an early puncture at Namur meant he needed to chase for the whole race, although Pidcock was, as expected, in his element on the Citadel.  They also discuss how Alvarado, Brand, van Empel and Pieterse are peaking in form.

In the Laatste Ronde they talk through rider-favorites from the Kersteperiod, and how Lars will be missing Zolder this year despite having a fantastic track record there.

The big question remains... will Lars ever manage to add Richard Groenendaal's autograph to his collection?

Support the show

--
To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps!  

You can watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrosscastCyclocross

Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks!  Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Xan Crees Racing.

In Episode 6 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by legend of cyclocross development Steve Grimwood.  Neil and Steve were both fresh back from the Masters World Championships from Hamburg that turned out to be a proper winter wonderland, giving Val di Sole a run for its money in terms of snow and ice.

Neil reports back on his experiences in Germany, and some of the many memorable GB performances that included titles for John McGrath, Sally Reid, and Luke Mahoney. 

They cover Flamanville that will be remembered for the ducks as much as the racing.  

Val di Sole marked that half-way point in the World Cup and delivered some popular new World Cup winners in Bakker and Nieuwenhuis both of whom showed how to stay chilled under pressure in the snow.  

In extremely changeable conditions Gravesend delivered some new Elite UCI winners in Xan Crees and Ben Chilton, both of whom showed their strengths on a technical and difficult circuit finishing ahead of top class opposition, including the returning Millie Couzens and Isla Short.

Steve, Matt and Neil discuss just how often the unexpected happens in cyclocross, whether it's ducks on the course, fires in the arena, dramatically changing conditions, or the main course inadvertently not being opened after the start loop, and how it must be taken on board by riders and support teams. Steve gives an insight into what must be considered by the organisers when the unexpected happens and quick decisions are needed. 

Before entering the Laatste Ronde they discuss the breaking news that Tong will not be a UCI race, but then go on to preview Namur and consider what races would be good for Pidcock, Van Aert and Van der Poel to make their returns.

Support the show

--
To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps!  

You can watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrosscastCyclocross

Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks!  Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Xan Crees Racing.

In Episode 5 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by cyclocross talent Ruby James, having her best season for ages and doing those Hope Factory Racing colours proud.  They talk through her experiences racing at the World Cups in Troyes and Dublin and how she has worked with the Hope crew to get the best out of her season.

They discuss the Paignton National Trophy that delivered a challenging and fun course, mixing up mud, a bit of running, and some open faster sections.

Neil reports back on his block vising several local leagues (3 cracking venues and totally different in character), in his run up to the Masters World Champs from an icy Hamburg, which is where he will be when the show is uploaded.

In the Laatste Ronde they look forward to Trophy 5 from Cyclopark and the already iconic Ride for Charlie steps, and World Cups from the city of flames (Flamanville) and the valley of sun (Val di Sole).

And most importantly it's great to hear that Matt is recovering well after his scary high-speed crash in France, with a life-saver helmet and emergency transfer to l'hôpital.  

Support the show

--
To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps!  

You can watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrosscastCyclocross

Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks!  Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Xan Crees Racing.

In Episode 4 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by GB coach and CX guru Matt Ellis.  Matt E was fresh back from the European Champs that saw GB feature on 4 of the 7 podiums with a win and three silvers across Team, Junior, U23 and Elite in male and female categories. 

They talk about EvoDevo https://www.evodevocycling.org.uk/ and how much it is benefiting GB riders at a key time of development.  They are back from the first trip and planning on Trip 2, which you can help with the CrowdFunder link above.

The National Trophy from Derby is covered: a course that needed finesse and skill as well as power, and Neil tells a tale of a lap 2 puncture 😭 that sealed 😁 but despite the 'send it through the ruts and hope' strategy, meant that he never really got established in the race.

They talk through how Koppenberg gave an opportunity to enjoy some outstanding technique, and hinted at form ahead of the European Championships.  Pontchateau was almost cancelled due to the storm but Neil and Matts were blown away by some excellent GB performances, and development for those further down in the fields.

In the Laatste Ronde, they look forward to the Torbay Trophy and World Cups from Dendermonde that has an intriguing start list, especially as Mason and Bäckstedt have taken wins there in the past and will be on a high after Euros, and Troyes that looks like a classic French course (and you can take your pick on whether to go with the Yorkshire or French pronunciation).

Support the show

--
To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps!  

You can watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrosscastCyclocross

Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks!  Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Xan Crees Racing.

In Episode 3 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by top USA talent Keira Bond (@keira.bond). Keira has recently made an impact on the UK scene, racing cyclocross for @cxdtrekbikes and already a regular podium visitor.  Keira gives us a great insight into the USA scene, and the Waterloo World Cup course, as a rider who raced it last year.

Neil and Keira reflect on their experiences at round 2 of the National Trophy from Thornton Hall, both of whom feeling like they have unfinished business and looking forward to a reset and restart at Derby.  They get into a detailed discussion of how to describe mud, using the full vocabulary that only true cyclocrossers can appreciate.  Matt prompts Neil to express some of the benefits of the new NT schedule because they've not had as much profile as the negative aspects that are widely shared on the socials.

They question how to remember the 2023 Waterloo World Cup - both Nys and Van Empel gave a masterclass but in such different ways, one of them being flamboyant and exciting and the other skilled and controlled.

In the Laatste Ronde they look forward to a top couple of weeks racing including Derby National Trophy, where Neil gives Keira all his top tips, as well as Maasmechelen from where Matt will providing UCI commentary, and everyone's favorite Koppenburgcross which Neil loves so much he put it on a T-shirt 😉.  Then we have European and Pan-Am Champs, of which Keira is already a veteran.

Support the show

--
To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps!  

You can watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrosscastCyclocross

Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks!  Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Xan Crees Racing.

In Episode 2 of Season 7 Neil and Matt are joined in the studio by 'CXOli' - Oli Akers - from Ribble Verge cyclocross team.  Oli brings us up to speed on his MTB camp with Trek Future Racing and his speedy start to his season, characterised by his speedy starts.

Neil and Oli go into fine detail on their racing in South Shields, how they found the course, and how Oli managed to come on top in a sprint and Neil... didn't (oh come on... it was a photo finish with identical times to the 10th!).  The men's race had a familiar podium with Mein and Barnes Bros taking the 1-2-3 but the women's race had a new winner in Elenor Day (yes, my top tip  😂) followed by Baker and James with a result showing she's back on awesome form and ready to take on the CX season.  Keira Bond finished in a strong 4th, fresh over to the UK from USA, and someone we hope will be able to race the whole season.

Matt, Oli and Neil discuss the biggest talking point of the weekend, the change in schedule, which certainly changed the feel of the event... is it too soon to see whether it is better or worse on balance?  

In the Laatste Ronde they look forward to next round of the National Trophy coming from a new venue at Thornton Hall.  A course that is described as being either up or down or the pits, and on the same site where you can pick pumpkins can hug a baby goat.  What's not to like?

They also preview the first round of the World Cup due to come from TREK's car park at Waterloo.  Could this be the first World Cup win for Nys Jr or will the more established riders pick up where they left off last season.  Since recording the show the start list has been published and it includes several exciting names from the MTB world including former winner Neff, but also has a lot of names missing.  Essential viewing for sure.

Support the show

--
To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps!  

You can watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrosscastCyclocross

Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks!  Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Xan Crees Racing.

The Crosscast is back! In Episode 1 of season 7, Neil and Matt are joined in the studio, by freshly crowned National Elite gravel champion Xan Crees. They get the inside story of Xan's win for Spectra Cannondale over at the Kings Cup National Championships.

Before the cyclo-cross purists get too jittery, they quickly refocus on the early cyclocross season, reflecting on the Hope Supercross series, the three UCI C2 races, promoted in partnership with CX North East, North West Cyclocross Association, and Yorkshire Cyclocross League. It was certainly a good stretch of the legs early season, and a mini-series that has lots of great features and will hopefully grow in future years.

Whilst Neil missed racing The Three Peaks, Xan was able to bring some course-side insights being support crew for team Spectra, and experience of the grizzle weather. Huge congratulations to everyone that finished the epic event. It was of course fantastic to see Giles Drake (Wheelbase) come over the line having taken the overall win after a catalogue of misfortune in the past.  Bryony Halcrow took the women’s win in dominant fashion being the only woman to come in under four hours.

They get into the detail of ranking points in the UK, and at the UCI. It will certainly be interesting to see if the alterations to the British Cycling ranking point system will make any difference to rider race programs, whether it will encourage riders to travel more or to travel less, and whether it will give some of the smaller leagues a boost in some of their categories.

In the Laatste Ronde, they look forward to the next big rice on the calendar UK, round one of the National Trophy coming from South Shields. It happens to clash with the world gravel champs which means a few front runners might be missing for this race but of course we are just speculating here 😉.

Neil‘s cat decided to call an end to the show when it attacked his microphone, but I am happy to report that both cat and Neil are fully recovered from the altercation.

@thecrosscast @crosscastneil @mattfixerpayne @xancrees @the_grity_kity

Support the show

--
To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps!  

You can watch us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrosscastCyclocross

Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks!  Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Xan Crees Racing.